Share same setting values of Preferences with multiple users

[ptc-5110902]

Dear all,

I am trying to figure out how the system administrator can configure the same setting among multiple Arbortext Editors.

For example, In Arbortext Editor, Tools > Preferences > Preferences dialog box > Advanced > Acvanced Preferences dialog box, there is a preference named "newlist. How would you share the setting values of this "newlist" among multiple users? And how the system administrator configures it?

FYI, I have already tried on the environmental variable "APTWCF" but it was not suitable for this purpose, because it also shared unnecessary values in Tools > Preferences.

I look forward to your reply.

Kind regards,

Tomomi

[ptc-5110902]

I would really appreciate your ideas!

[TimPhelps]

Have you create a single custom directory modelled after the Arbortext Editor installed custom directory, where this directory is on a server accessible by all and pointed to by all using APTCUSTOM? All of your document types would be placed in this custom directory under the custom\doctypes directory.

See Arbortext Editor's Help Center topics involving the "custom" directory and .dcf files.

[ptc-5110902]

Dear Tim,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

Would you mind checking that my understanding for your answer is correct?

For example, the procedure such as following should be taken in order to share configurations for a specilised DITA DTD? :

1. Create a "custom" modelled after the Arbortext Editor installed "custom" directory to which all can access.

2. In custom/"doctypes" directory, put the specilised schema, .dcf file and .pcf file.

3. In custom/"lib" directory, put .wcf file. (In the .wcf file, only the configurations you want to share are written.)

4. Specify "custom" directory in APTCUSTOM.

If my understanding is correct, I will try on your answer. I appreciate it very much.

Kind regards,

Tomomi

[TimPhelps]

Your understanding is correct for 1, 2 and 4.

For 3, you may put the arbortext.wcf file, the preference file, into the lib directory, but you should have users point to it using the APTWCF environment variable.

(See the Arbortext Help Center for further details about APTWF. Also note that if a user changes the common arbortext.wcf file, then it affects all users.)

Best regards,

Tim

[ptc-5110902]

Dear Tim,

Thank you for your kind reply.

Would you mind me asking you further questions regarding your advice?

For the procesure 3, the .wcf file to specify in APTWCF environment variable can be placed in any directory on a server? Is there any reason that the .wcf file is put in "lib" directory?

Also regarding the procedure 1, is it the better to create a separate custom directory for each set of specialised DITA schema? For example, in the Arbortext Editor/ application directory, there are separate directory for "com.arbortext.sma" and "com.ptc.arbortext.techinfo" which are specilisations of a set of DITA schemas. In this case, each specilisation has a separate directory for a set of specialised DITA schemas.

Or is it better to creat a custom directory for all the specilised schemas?

For example, create only one custom directory for all DITA schemas that are specialised.

I appreciate your answer very much! If you have unclear points in my questions, please let me know.

Kind regards,

Tomomi

[TimPhelps · Accepted solution]

Regarding the APTWCF, the directory can be placed in any directory on the server, however if you are wanting to consolidate Arbortext content in one central location, then the lib directory would be an appropriate spot.

Regarding specializations, we have placed those in the custom\applications directory.

Again, consolidating items is a good goal.

Making separate custom directories would also work.

It really up to your preference.

However, we would recommend using the custom\applications directory for DITA specializations.

Tim

[ptc-5110902]

Dear Tim,

Thank you very much for your kind answer.

This problem has been very difficult for me to make a solution.

It was really great to know all the information you gave me. I appreciate it so much.

I hope you have a nice day!

Kind regards,

Tomomi

[ptc-5110902]

Dear Tim,

I hope you have been fine.

Would you mind me asking a quick question again?

I checked the Arbortext Help Centre and found an article about custom folder and its subdirectories.
In that article, it seems that custom/application was not mentioned. (See "Description of the custom directory structure".)
Therefore I came up with a structure in reference to "techinfo" folder. Do you think the following structure is good?

application
+- com.arbortext.specialization
|- dcfmodules
| +- specialization-base-module.dcf
|- ditarefs
| +- specialization_topic_sample.dita
+- doctypes
|- catalog
|- specialization.dcf
|- specialization.dtd
|- specialization.pcf
|- specialization.style
|- specialization_topic.dtd
|- specialization_topic.ent
+- specialization_topic.mod

I hope to hear from you.

Kind regards,

Tomomi